Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

यः करिष्यति भूपालो जयस्तस्य भविष्यति । अपि स्वल्पस्वसैन्यस्य स्वल्पाश्वस्य च संगरे

Transliteration

yaḥ kariṣyati bhūpālo jayastasya bhaviṣyati | api svalpasvasainyasya svalpāśvasya ca saṃgare

Translation

ഏത് രാജാവാണ് ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യുന്നത്, വിജയം അവന്റേതായിരിക്കും—യുദ്ധത്തിൽ അവന്റെ സൈന്യം കുറവായാലും കുതിരകൾ അല്പമായാലും പോലും.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• करिष्यति: will do / will perform
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भूपालः: king
• भूपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूः पालः = पृथिव्याः पालकः)

• जयः: victory
• जयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अपि: even / also
• अपि: Discourse connector (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/emphatic particle: even/also)

• स्वल्पस्वसैन्यस्य: of (his) small own army
• स्वल्पस्वसैन्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (स्वल्पं स्वं सैन्यम् = one's small army)

• स्वल्पाश्वस्य: of (his) few horses / small cavalry
• स्वल्पाश्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वल्पः अश्वः)

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संगरे: in battle
• संगरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Devadeva (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kelīśvarī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king with a small contingent and few horses stands before battle, reciting the hymn; above, Kelīśvarī’s protective radiance forms a canopy; the opposing army appears larger yet begins to falter.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Kelīśvarī (Goddess)
• Bhūpāla (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous reliance on divine grace through stotra and devotion can outweigh material disadvantage, aligning worldly duty (kṣatra-dharma) with spiritual refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse focuses on the stotra’s protective fruit rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of the indicated devotional act (implied: worship/recitation of the hymn) by a ruler seeking victory.